Posted on 10/08/2004 6:46:08 AM PDT by Area Freeper
Gay men in San Francisco have a new way to tell each other the difficult news that they may have been infected with a sexually transmitted disease.
On Wednesday a program called InSPOT began. An acronym for Internet Notification Service for Partners or Tricks, InSPOT allows users an anonymous way, via stylish e-mail cards, to tell sex partners that they may be infected.
The people behind the cards say it was important not to be accusatory. One of the six different cards features a message that reads: "Who? What? When? Where? It doesn't matter. I got an STD; you might have it too. Please get checked out."
Other cards read: "You're too hot to be out of action"; "It's not what you brought to the party, it's what you left with"; "I got screwed while screwing; you might have, too"; "Going through my address book and you're on my list" and, "Heads up."
Before sending the cards, users can choose from a drop-down menu of eight diseases to inform partners what they were diagnosed with, but not HIV. Organizers told reporters they worried spammers or pranksters would try to needlessly scare people.
One of the men behind the program, Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, director of STD prevention and control services for the city of San Francisco, told the PlanetOut Network that the InSPOT program was in response to a rise in syphilis cases attributed to hook-ups on the Internet.
"It's a free and easy way for people to inform their sex partners," he said. "We anticipate it will become a normative way for partners to tell people about their STDs."
"It cost about $20,000 for the initial startup, another $20,000 to get the word out through marketing and we estimate $10,000 each year to maintain the site," said Klausner, who also answers sexual health questions on Gay.com and PlanetOut.
If successful, the InSPOT program could spread to other cities. Klausner revealed he received a call Wednesday from Vancouver, "and I know colleagues from other cities in the U.S. will want to hear about it," he said, noting that cities like Houston, New York and Atlanta all had seen jumps in STD infections among men who have sex with men.
"I think there's going to be a 'wait-and-see' approach on how effective the program is," Klausner said.
classy.
I like "Dude, you're screwed"
My, how nice of you to send a card!
NOT!!!
Truly macabre, and more than just a little sad. How could anyone make light of transmitting STDs?
ping
they can do a parody of those Milk ads (got milk?)
where it says "got AIDS?" then when you open the card it says "yes, actually you do"
they could put famous celebrities on it
Aren't homosexuals calling aids a gift these days?
(insert STD of choice for 'clap' above)
Roses are red
Daffodils are yellow
You caught deadly disease
By buggering that fellow
Regards, Ivan
Of course it doesn't matter. It's only disease. The only thing that matters is self-gratification.
So, does the guy read this card before or after bending over?
Always assume the gun is loaded.
When perversion is normal libs perceive
Homosexual Agenda + Speechless amazement ping.
Why not just have mass mailings, or perhaps people putting flyers on car windshields or hang them on every doorknob? Or the infected people can just wear a sign around the neck?
Or just line up people on the street and give them antibiotics?
Or get castrated, better yet.
Sorry if I'm mean, still not feeling cheerful yet.
Let me and Scripter know if anyone wants on/off this pinglist.
Bochelism and you have something in common, bad meat in the can sweetie!
Besides, so many of their "encounters" are anonymous, how the heck will they know everyones' email addresses, let along names?
This country is going to hell in a handbasket.
Bochelism and you have something in common, bad meat in the can sweetie!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.